Closed A Day at the Docks [Gale]

[Kendhl Pilkvist]

65th of Summer, 513 AV, Mid-Morning

It was your average day at the docks, if a bit hotter. The sun beat down on the workers and you could see the ships entering Mathews Bay. People were talking casually as cargo was carried to and from the shops. It was bustling with men holding crates and ropes and noisy with gossip from around Mizahar. A Konti ship had crashed on the 51st and brave divers were searching for the treasure that was lost. Such things were trivial to Kendhl, who only cared for food and good company. The otter Kelvic was in her animal form, swimming down to the ocean floor and gathering clams. She surfaced and floated on her back, placing a rock on her chest and bashing one of the shelled creatures against it. It smashed open and she enjoyed the meal, repeating the process. She had already been doing this for a few bells, and would continue until it was afternoon.

When the sun was at its peak, the docks were even noisier. The Kelvic had finished her breakfast and was now grooming herself. She meticulously removed flecks of shell and meat from her fur, then rolled in the water. If she had done such grooming in human form, one would think her either mad or narcissistic, or even both. Despite that, it was vital to the Kelvic's health in her otter form. It trapped air pockets to keep her warm. She didn't have a layer of fat like seals or sea lions, so she had to roll. Kendhl dived again, this time darting after a fish and snatching it in her forepaws. It was secured in the otter's jaws as she swam back to the docks and threw it at an unsuspecting passerby.

OOCKind of short, but my brain refuses to have any imagination. Left it open so you could enter however you wanted!

[Gale Austin McCenry]

Common Vani Nari Others

A brand new day. It was a brand new day. It wasn't yesterday or the day before. It wasn't last season, it was a completely new day. Why was accepting this fact so hard?

Looking down at his feet, the Zeltivan frowned with his hands in his pockets. Hands could do so much. Especially the ones you'd never suspect, which included his own. His frail, plain, artistic hands. The dirty, violent, blood-thirsty hands. If he didn't need them he would cut them from himself and kick them into the cold water of Zeltiva's ocean. Fish food would be of better use of them.

Gale kicked the sands in frustration and bitterness towards himself. Murder wasn't something that he could have ever predicted to be coping with. Of course, this time he could blame self defense. Being assaulted, or at least protecting the one who was being assaulted was a perfectly reasonable excuse. But that was all it was. An excuse.

Looking up with furrowed brows, the blonde watched the people on the docks. He watched the waves. The occasional bird. Gale needed to stop thinking about it if he was ever going to get any pictures drawn today. That was a horrendous day. But today was a new day. A new day that he couldn't contaminate. A new day with new thoughts and ideas. One of the few days where Gale appreciated the distractions of the world. But no one said that distractions were guaranteed to distract you from your thoughts.

The breeze picked up the widower's chin as a bird flapped its way over the water. It's reflection on the wavy water looking up at it. Only if Gale could fly away and be as care free as it...Wow, that was the first time he had ever wished to be an animal. See? He is going mad!

Giving a loud groan, the murderer plopped down on the shore, letting his head fall onto his knees. The same hands that took lives running through his hair delicately. His eyes fell closed, deciding to let his mind roam freely. The bloody memories will never leave him unless they passed without rejection. Once they could, the rest of the day would be his. At least in theory. Nothing ever went as Gale planned, however.

It wasn't long until a real distraction came by. An approximate guess would be five chimes until a clicking could be heard. There were various noises at the docks, but unless someone was hitting their knife against stone...Looking up to find the source of the ticking, Gale was almost blinded by the sudden light.

"Augh!" He grunted as his hand slapped over his eyes as shading. Squinting as he looked over the sand and the water, his hand eventually fell as the artist's eyes adjusted. Nothing caught his attention, for the clicking had stopped, thankfully. It had started to get annoying.

But while he was distracted from his experiences, it was about time to get to work. Pulling his beloved sketchbook into his lap, Gale flipped it open to the next free page which was becoming easier to find with the ripped remains of papers that were torn out becoming a bookmark of the sorts. Charcoal in hand, fresh page, clear mind. Yep, he was just about ready to begin. But what was he going to draw?

As the the widower looked up for some sort of inspiration, he saw round, beady eyes staring at him before a fish gracefully flew its way into his face. He fell back from the impact and from shock. The fish bounced happily off his face before plummeting into the sand where it continued to wriggle and dance, all the while cloaking itself in sand. Gale wasn't happy with this. Mainly from the fact that his face hurt and more than likely was turning red.(whether that be from the fish slapping him or him blushing) Sitting up with a baffled look upon him, the blonde scanned the fish. He wasn't sure what to make of it. Why would a fish jump from the water onto shore? And onto a person nonetheless? The man looked to the water in hopes of finding an explanation. And an explanation he got.

"Well hello there." He said plainly with his baritone voice. There was silence. Of course there was, it was an Otter. Otters don't talk. Looking back at the fish, still panting and flopping hopelessly in the sand, he reached over with a grunt and picked it up by its tail. It wriggle and squirmed more. Gale looked back at the otter. "Did you throw this?" Of course, he didn't expect an answer. As a matter of fact, he didn't expect any response at all, except for it to dunk back into the water and disappear from sight. Talking more to himself than the Otter, he sighed softly and tossed the fish near the water," Look were you are throwing it next time." With that, the man sat there, waiting for the creature to snatch the fish and swim away.

[Kendhl Pilkvist]

Kendhl laughed at the man's bewilderment, and from the redness spreading across his face. The only thing the humans could hear was her amused grunts, but she rolled in the water again. The man looked about, and his eyes landed on her. Immediately she scrambled onto shore towards him.

"Well hello there."

His voice was deep, and there was a slight pause in her stride. Did he know she was Kelvic? Kendhl frowned slightly, wondering if she had ever shifted in front of him. She stopped and sat, scrutinizing his face. No, she hadn't. He must've thought she could truly understand him, or something along those lines. The fish rose, the man gripping it by the tail.

"Did you throw this?"

The otter nodded, sitting back on her haunches. Her paws went to the dense fur covering her skin, grooming it. He tossed it near the water and sighed, telling her to look where she was throwing next time. The nerve of him! Kendhl stood and dissolved into her human form, midway between the ocean and the man. Her pale eyes blinked twice, then fixed him with a stare. She couldn't stand pessimists. He obviously didn't know how to take a joke.

"It's called a joke, stranger. Haven't you heard of them? They're supposed to be funny. Duh."

With that the now-human Kelvic sat down on the sand in front of him, knees pulled up to her chest and ankles crossed. She knew how people reacted to both an otter turning into a human and a nude woman. Her fingers on one hand interwove with the fingers on the other and were placed over her shins. She would get to know this man. He smelled of worry, or sadness. She couldn't tell. If anything, Kendhl would try to cheer him up. Her smiled flashed brightly and stuck there, watching him attentively. She liked humans' startled reactions to her, but she'd have to get her clothing eventually. The Wave Guard wouldn't like her nakedness being almost flaunted around Zeltiva, and neither would they enjoy an otter scuttling about and getting underfoot.

[Gale Austin McCenry]

Common Vani Nari Others

This was one strange Otter. Not only did it not swim away, but it actually moved towards him. Probably because he had the fish. Wait- was that a frown? Did it just nod? Raising an eyebrow suspiciously, Gale watched as the strange creature groomed itself. Speaking of grooming, he ran his hands through his hair again to get the sand out.

There was an explanation for the Otter's behavior, though. It was like a magic trick. First it was an Otter, now it was a... naked woman...

If Gale wasn't blushing before, he surely was now. It took him longer than he would have liked to look away, but it was a Kelvic. When was there ever a bloody Kelvic that gave a damn if someone looked at them naked? Obviously the last two men didn't. Augh. Kelvics and their nudity.

"Jokes can only be called so if it is funny for both sides." He frowned with his eyebrows furrowed. "Besides, it depends on your definition of funny." The Zeltivan closed his notebook.

To be honest, the man hated not to look. Not for the fact that she wasn't wearing any clothes, (Though he couldn't deny that that was a factor) but mainly because he couldn't look at the person he was talking to. Gale never liked people who wouldn't maintain eye contact while in a conversation so being in their shoes made him feel... distant. Which in reality, it was an arguable topic. Nevertheless, it was agitating.

"Would you like something to cover up with or are you fine sitting there?" That might sound rude, especially to a Kelvic. He tried to cover it up," Must be cold with the breeze and all. Not to mention you're wet." The blonde looked at his lap and ran his fingers over the cover of his sketchbook to keep his attention on something other than the...naked...young...woman next to him... Which was becoming a much harder task every tick.

[Kendhl Pilkvist]

A bright blush crossed his face. Why was he blushing? Had he not seen a woman before? She rolled her eyes at his frowning statement. Such a downer. Honestly, she was surprised he hadn't been chased out of Zeltiva for ruining fun.

"Well, my definition of funny is obviously different from yours, Mr. Killjoy."

She huffed at his stare, shifting position to better cover herself when he asked if she'd like something to cover up with. He was rude, but... There was something about him. It was a bit cold out, and she just noticed the water on her skin and in her hair. She shivered involuntarily, but his focused was on his sketchbook. She could tell not looking at her was a difficult task for him. Kendhl sighed, muttering something about her clothes and standing. With her back to him she walked to the place where her shirt and trousers were folded neatly. A deft flick of her fingers brought the former over her head. The hem of the shirt fell past her waist and ended mid-thigh, and the Kelvic decided that was covered enough. Running a hand through her hair and mussing it, Kendhl practically skipped back to her seat and kneeled down.

"Is this better, Prude-Pants? Or do I have to put on my trousers too?"

Sure, it was a bit snarky, but he wasn't nice either. Besides, it was kind of funny. She tilted her head and looked him up and down. Sketchbook? Must be an artist. His hair was blonde and curly, and he had the look of someone who's lost something dear to them. All mopey. She couldn't stand those people.

[Gale Austin McCenry]

Common Vani Nari Others

"Apparently." He muttered under his breath. "In all honesty, you are not all that funny either. Not to mention you're killing my joy." Like he had any to begin with.

She stood up and grabbed her own shirt. Thankfully she had some clothes of her own because Gale really didn't want to lend her his. One to many times has his shirt been ruined! He didn't wanting to risk it getting spoiled again when he has no Mizas to buy a new one. But as expected, she only put on half of the clothes. Gale looked up and rolled his eyes at his new nickname,"That is fine." He attempted to say as calmly as possible, which sounded more drawled out than anything.

It was a relief that the man could actually look at the person he was talking to. The red on his cheeks had died down and he proceeded to ask," Do you normally toss fish at passerby's for fun? Or is it a special occasion that I had the honour of being apart of?" The question was dripping with sarcasm.

This Otter obviously had a prankster type of look about her, hence the fish. Either that or she was just too bright and carefree for her own good. Being carefree is a wonderful thing. Gale could only wish he was the same. But he knew all too well the outcome of being overly so and it left a sour taste in the mouth. It wasn't that he didn't like optimistic people. They were always interesting to interact with...hence the fish...But sometimes he wished he could warn them of the consequences.

[Kendhl Pilkvist]

Finally he looked at her. The blush had died down too, but she could still smell it under his skin. She played with one of the legs of her trousers absentmindedly, but heard his question.

"Depends on the day, of course. Today happened to be one of those days. It's not often one of the fish hits someone, so you must be special."

Kendhl gave him a smile, then moved her face close to his, her nose twitching. One hand on either side of him.

"What's up with you? Why are you so down? I can smell it, you know. I can smell the sadness deep inside."

He might be traumatized by the experience, but she would get the answer out of him. Her eyes searched his expression, his posture. There was something about him. He reminded her of the tales of the Akvatari, so melancholy. It made her usual care-free and playful self curl up and replaced it with the serious girl she hadn't been in contact with for most of her life. Kendhl intended to make him pay. She would make this man happy, or as close to joyful as she could get him. The Kelvic didn't like hanging around sad people, especially if she couldn't cheer them up. This sadness felt like one of the harder to cure ones.

[Gale Austin McCenry]

Common Vani Nari Others

Gale was indeed, special. Gale thoroughly believed he was special. He was special because the Gods have decided to use them as their pin cushion. Whenever they felt like messing with someone, they decide to use Gale. He was a very simple man with simple morals. Didn't do much in his past. It was their way of making his life exciting, though from his eyes it was just a horror story that someone would tell around the campfire. The tale of the man who had the worst luck in all of Mizahar. Wonderful children's story, he couldn't wait to tell his kids.

The widower placed his arms on his knees as she explained that she could smell his insides? "That is not creepy at all." His gaze drifted to the water washing up on the shore. "But despite your...keen sense of smell, I am fine. Thank you for your concern though." The thank you seemed rather absent as he started to space out from watching the sand being pulled back and forth from the water.

Whether the thank you was sincere or not was even a mystery to the Zeltivan himself. It was comforting to know that some people weren't completely oblivious to the clear expression on someone's face. But no one likes a Brown Noser, especially about touchy subjects. And a touchy subject was what she was after.

"What about you? Why are you so high in the clouds? I can see your excitement pooling at your feet." He looked back at her blankly.

[Kendhl Pilkvist]

"Of course it isn't creepy. We otters have an exceptional sense of smell. You're not fine, I can hear the lies in your voice."

His face emptied, staring at the water. She turned to see what he was looking at. Her attention was claimed again by another question. So high in the clouds? Excitement pooling at her feet? Kendhl sat back on her heels, thinking. He was definitely strange, this one.

"I don't know. Normally I'm... more upbeat than this."

She scratched boredly at her neck, her slightly lengthened fingernails making red lines, almost welts on the skin. The Kelvic shifted, sitting cross-legged. So high in the clouds... Kendhl peered upwards at the sky. She wasn't that tall. In fact, he was probably taller than her. Unless it was a figure of speech. She didn't even know his name. Her hand stretched out to the curly mass on his head, quietly twisting one of the strands around her finger. He might think this strange, but to her it was simply curiosity.

"What's your name?"

[Gale Austin McCenry]

Common Vani Nari Others

"Do you also have exceptional hearing as well?" He asked blatantly.

She obviously didn't understand his sarcasm, which Gale thought was pretty well emphasized. But their perspectives were different, and he was pretty sure their definition of anything would be different, including sarcasm. And up beat. This wasn't her normal self? What was she like normally? Must be bouncing off the walls with all that joy bottled up in that little Otter. Must be difficult to encounter someone who wasn't having a particularly good day. Gale opened his sketchbook and took off his backpack, placing it to his side opposite of Kendhl. Taking out a piece of charcoal, he set his hands in his lap.

People did weird thing. Everyone had quirks and odd habits. It was no surprise that this Otter had a few of her own, one could only figure. Despite the fair warnings of her doing another strange deed, the artist jolted when she took a loose curl from his hair and started twirling it. Not many people would play with a stranger's hair and not many people were used to strangers playing with their hair. His blue eye glanced at her with surprise, before looking back down at the blank page he had to fill. The hair playing and twirling was strange, but as long as she wasn't pulling, then Gale supposed it was alright. Since she was an Otter and all. As a matter of fact, it felt good, in its own way. One of those feelings you can only get when someone else does it.

"Gale." He told her. There was no need for last names. "Yourself?" Curiosity perched on his shoulders as names seemed to be popping up in his head, guessing, predicting what it would be. What would an Otter be named...An Otter's name...